Adjustable awning



Feb. 28, 1956 ETTEN 2,736,372

ADJUSTABLE AWNING Filed April, 19, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 EfiZ E TYZLE TM'o/z 02426 L EZ fen Feb. 28, 1956 N. L. ETTEN.

ADJUSTABLE AWNING 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 19. 1951 Feb. 28, 1956 N.ETTEN ADJUSTABLE AWNING Filed April 19, 195] 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 M'clzoicwL. Effezz E M%-W,WF -"MH E Feb. 28, 1956 ETTEN 2,736,372

ADJUSTABLE AWNING Filed April 19, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 F q- 6 I 7 7 THZ -I HE United States PatentO ADJUSTABLE AWNING Nicholas L. Etten,Cedar Falls, Iowa, assignor to Chamberlain Corporation, Waterloo, Iowa,a corporation of Iowa Application April 19, 1951, Serial No. 221,780

3 Claims. (Cl. 160--62) This invention relates to improvements in anadjustable awning, and more particularly to an awning made in general ofmetal or equivalently durable material, such awning being substantiallypermanently mounted over a window, door frame, or some other opening ofa building, although the invention may have other uses and purposes aswill be apparent to one skilled in the art.

An important object of the instant invention is the provision of anawning or the like of the so-called permanent type, which is adjustableto a selective degree vertically.

It is also an object of this invention to provide an awning of theso-called permanent type embodying spaced vertically adjustable slats,arranged in louver-like style.

Another feature of the invention resides in the provision of an awningof the character set forth herein embodying spaced but overlapping slatsconnected by a flexible member, said slats being vertically adjustableso as to vary the length of the awning, with the adjustment of thelowermost slat not affecting the position or angle of the upper slat.

Also a feature of the invention resides in the provision of an awningembodying spaced but overlapping slats which may be raised and loweredin successive order.

A further desideratum of the invention resides in the provision of anawning embodying a plurality of U- shaped spaced slats, which may bebodily raised or lowered without changing the angular relationship ofthe slats relatively to the opening covered by the awning or to' eachother.

A further feature of the invention resides in the provision of an awningembodying U-shaped slats carried in spaced but overlapping relationship,and arranged to nest one within the other when the awning is raised,whereby a minimum of space is required for the awning inclosed position.

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of a slattedtype vertically adjusted awning, equipped with a valance effectivelyconcealing all of the slatted portion of the awning when the same isfully raised.

Still a further object of the invention resides in the provision of avertically adjustable slatted type awning, which provides thoroughventilation at all times, but which when lowered occludes both directsunshine as well as rain. A 7

While some of the more salient features, characteristics andadvantagesof the instant invention have been above pointed out, others will becomeapparent from'the following disclosures, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a pictorial illustration ofan awning embodying principles of the instant invention showing the samemounted in operative position over a window, and lowered to the fullextent;

Figure 2 is a view similar in character to Fig. 1, but showing theawning partially raised;

Figure 3 is an enlarged fragmentary vertical sectional I view of theawning taken substantially as indicated by the line III-III of Fig. 1looking in the direction of the arrows;

Figure 4 is a front elevational view of one of the mounting brackets forthe awning showing the same equipped with a supporting rod, but with theawning. slats removed;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan sectional view taken substantially asindicated by the line V-V of Fig. 1, and illustrating the actuating cordhookup for adjusting the awning;

Figure 6 is a fragmentary elevational view of one of the side sectionsof a slat;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary enlarged plan view of a corner portion of aslat, illustrating the fabrication thereof; and

Figure 8 is a top plan view of a rear corner of the awning, with aportion of the cover broken away to provide a top plan view of asupporting bracket.

As shown on the drawings:

The illustrated embodiment of the instant invention is shown mounted inoperative position on the sash frame 1 of a window 2, although it willbe understood that the awning may be mounted over a doorway or insubstantially any other desired location on a building.

The awning structure includes a pair of allochiral mounting brackets 33,seen best in Figs. 4 and 8, which are channel-like in shape, andscrewed, bolted, or equivalently secured to the vertical risers of thesash frame 1 through openings at the base of the brackets indicated at 4in Fig. 4. each bracket is outwardly widened and provided with an extraforwardly turned flange 5 to which avalance 6 may be bolted orequivalently secured as indicated at 7 in Fig. 8. This valance, inkeeping with the entire has a rear downwardly turned flange 10, Figs. 5and 8,

which extends between the brackets 3-3 to effect a better seal with thebuilding wall.

The adjustable part of the awning embodies a plurality of verticallyaligned substantially U-shaped slats generally indicated by numeral 11.These slats are arranged in overlapping relationship, but not in contactwith each other when the awning is in lowered position as seen inFig. 1. Nevertheless the slats overlap to a sufli'cient extent asclearly evident from the showing in Fig. 3 to occlude both sunshine andrain. Adequate ventilation between the slats is present at all times,however. Further, the slats are slightly arcuate in cross section asseen in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, so that when an adjustment of the awning ismade the'sl'ats may nest one within the other as the lower slats areillustrated in Fig. 2.

Referring now to Figs. 5 and 7 it will be seen that each of the slats 11is fabricated from a plurality of pieces riveted, spot welded, orequivalently secured together at overlapping portions. These piecesinclu dera pair of side members 12 and 13, a front member 14, and a pairof identical corner members 15 and 16. As seen in Fig. 7, each cornermember is inset as indicated at 17 to substantially the thickness of theadjoining side and front members. Thus, when the respective side andfront members are overlapped with the corner member in the insetregions, the outer appearance of the slat is smooth and even. Further,each corner member has an inwardly In the upper portion thereof,-

extending flange 18 at the upper portion thereof provided with asuitable aperture 19 to accommodate an adjusting cord as will more fullylater appear herein. As seen in the enlarged showing in Fig. 7, in theillustrated embodiment of the invention, the side and front members areriveted to the respective corner members as at 20.

In Fig. 6 I have shown one of the side members 12, provided withsuitable rivet holes, and it will be noted that at the rear end thereof,each side member is provided with an elongated slot or aperture 21. Thisaperture engages over a rod 22 connected at the bottom to a forwardlyextending flange 23 on the respective mounting bracket 3. The rodextends through an inwardly turned lug 24 at the top of the mountingbracket to which it may be fastened by a suitable cotter pin 25 or in anequivalent manner. From the showing in Fig. 4, it will be noted that thelug 24 is spaced below the aforesaid lugs 9-9 so that the rod does notinterfere with or contact the awning cover 8. The particular arrangementof the elongated apertures 21 in each slat over the rod 22 may be bestseen at the far right hand portion of Fig. 3. With reference now toFigs. 3 and 5, it will be seen that the slats are interconnected at aplurality of different points, six such interconnections being shown inthe illustrated embodiment. Each interconnection is in the form of aflexible tape 26 connected at its upper end to a bracket 27 secured tothe cover 8, and reversely folded and riveted or equivalently attachedto each slat as indicated at 29. These tapes maintain the slatssuspended evenly one above the other when the awning is lowered, thetapes buckling between slats as seen clearly in Fig. 2 when the awningis raised. The rear ends of each slat ride between the forwardlyextending flanges of the channel-shaped mounting brackets 3, and areprevented from leaving the channels by means of the aforesaid rods 22over which the ends of the respective slats are threaded. In order toassure an even and ready adjustment of the awning, a four cordarrangement is preferably provided. This is best seen in Figs. 3 and 5.Each rear end of each slat is provided with an inwardly extendingapertured bracket 30 through which cords may extend, and cords may alsoextend downwardly through the flanges 18 on the corner members. Allpulleys over which the cords travel are connected to the awning top 8 inany suitable manner such as by stirrup brackets 31 seen in Fig. 3.

The cord arrangement embodies one cord or tension member 32 extendingvertically through the flanges 18 on the corner members 15, and thiscord is knotted as at 33 below the lowermost flange. The cord extendsupwardly, passes over a pulley 34, along beneath the cover 8 to a rearhorizontally disposed pulley 35, after which this cord is attached toanother cord 36 having a reach extending vertically through one set ofbrackets 30 and similarly knotted at its lower end. This cord 36 passesover a vertical pulley 37, extends horizontally underneath the cover tothe far side of the awning, passing over one groove of a double pulley38 and is then tied as at 39 to another pair of cords 40 and 41. Thecord 40 extends vertically through the opposite set of brackets 30 andover the second groove of the double pulley 38. The cord 41 has a reachextending vertically through the opposite set of flanges 18 on the othercorner members 16, passes over a forward pulley 42, travels rearwardlyover a pulley 43, and terminates in a downwardly extending portion whichmay be anchored around a cleat 44 attached to the sash frame 1 as seenin Fig. 2. This cord 41 is the master or draw cord, and from the abovearrangement, it will be noted that when this cord 41 is pulleddownwardly, the entire slat arrangement is elevated, and when the cord41 is released, the slat arrangement may be dropped to a desired extent,or to the full extent, the tapes 27 maintaining the slats at evenrelative disposition during any degree of adjustment.

An important feature of the instant invention resides in the fact thatwhen the awning is adjusted by pulling the slats upwardly, only thelowermost slats are disturbed, depending upon the length of pull, and itwill be particularly noted from Fig. 2, that when the awning isapproximately in half position, the upper slats maintain their originalposition exactly and are not disturbed in any manner. Thus, the light orvision angle between slats is not changed regardless of adjustment ofthe awning. I11 addition, if the awning is entirely raised so as to givemaximum light and air, all of the slats will be hidden behind thevalance 6, occupying a minimum space, by virtue of the intimate nestingof the slats.

The awning is economical to construct, highly durable, pleasing inappearance, and by virtue of its vertical adjustment characteristicsprovides a maximum of light and air even while occluding direct sun raysor rain.

It will be understood that modifications and variations may be elfectedwithout departing from the scope of the novel concepts of the presentinvention.

I claim as my invention:

1. In an awning structure, a pair of opposed channelshaped mountingbrackets, a top, flexible supporting elements depending from said top,U-shaped slats carried by said elements in vertically spacedrelationship, each of said slats having a bight portion and a pair ofleg portions in generally horizontal alignment with the ends of the legportions riding in the channels of said brackets, and means to raise andlower said slats.

2. In an awning structure, a pair of opposed channelshaped mountingbrackets, a top, flexible supporting elements depending from said top,U-shaped slats carried by said elements in vertically spacedrelationship, each of said slats having a bight portion and a pair ofleg portions in generally horizontal alignment with the ends of the legportions riding in the channels of said brackets, means to raise andlower said slats, a vertical rod carried by each said bracket, and eachend of a slat having an elongated opening therein threaded over thecorresponding rod.

3. In an awning, a top structure, spaced tapes depending therefrom, aplurality of U-shaped slats horizontally disposed and attached in spacedoverlapping relationship to said tapes, said slats being arcuate incross-section, pull cord means to raise and lower said slats into andout of nested relationship, each said slat being fabricated from side,front, and arcuate corner members, apertured flanges projecting inwardlyfrom said corner members, and said pull cord means extending throughsaid flanges.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 42,438Jeflreys Apr. 19, 1864 888,433 Thompson May 19, 1908 1,459,480 SonneJune 19, 1923 1,839,052 Richardson Dec. 29, 1931 1,954,464 Violette Apr.10, 1934 2,229,190 Ryerson Jan. 21, 1941 2,256,609 Bruns Sept. 23, 19412,280,368 Bassett Apr. 21, 1942 2,551,736 Guarcello May 8, 1951

